Crossed Paths
by Randal
Summary: A nameless traveller becomes hunted when he unknowingly and unwillingly becomes entwined in events he himself was a part of long ago. Rated T for violence and language.


**Chapter One**

Encounter On The Road To Waldstadt

It was a cloudy day. The sun occasionally popped out from behind cover to smile upon the world below, but it did not care to stay to long. Not many things could smile longer than that at the Old World.

A man walked down the dirt path toward the small town of Waldstadt. His long leather coat matched the road perfectly, breaking up his image and making him almost impossible to see from a distance. His wide-brimmed hat hid his sharp features in shadow and his hands were encased in fingerless gloves, which eased the bag straps that rested on his shoulders. At his side was a longsword that seemed of surprisingly good craftsmanship considering the rest of the man's worn out equipment.

The man suddenly stopped. Up ahead, he had spotted four figures directly in front of him blocking his passage, his grey eyes flashing briefly. Bandits, he supposed. With a sigh, he approached them.

"Evenin' sir", called out the lead bandit, stepping out of the line up to call to the man.

"Help you with something?" asked the traveller curtly.

"Now now, no need for that tone, sir", said the bandit. "We're just here to ask you for the toll".

"I see", he replied, looking out from the brim of his hat to either side of the road. "I don't see any toll booth. Or any seal of office on your... uniform". The last word was spoken with naked disdain, since the clothing the bandits wore were far from official. They almost looked like they had been sown together out of dirty rags.

"Another smart arse", said one of the first bandit's companions. "You wanna know what we did to the last smart arse that came down this way?"

"You bored them to death with feeble threats?" mocked the traveller. "I have little time for your pathetic attempts at intimidation. If you wish to attempt a robbery just get on with it so that I can get on my way".

"Look", said the first bandit, clearly put out that the man was clearly unafraid. "Just pass over your valuables and no-one'll get hurt-"

The traveller flicked his wrist and the bandit that had called him a 'smart arse' cried out in pain. The rest of the amateur highwaymen turned to their friend, who had blood pouring from the side of his head where his ear used to be.

"I'm afraid", said the traveller, drawing the sword from his side, "that is not entirely true". The weapon sang as it came free from the scabbard. The black metal of the blade appeared to have a thin gap in the middle, running a few inches from the tip to about the middle of it's length. The traveller held it at ease, waiting for his opponents to advance with a calm that could only be gained by years of experience in combat.

With a cry, the quartet of bandits charged at him, drawing their weapons as they did so. The one-eared man was the first to reach him, swinging his blade at the traveller's head. He easily ducked and countered, cutting deep into the meat of the man's arm and making him cry out in pain a second time nd stumble back. Two more of the bandits reached him and he skillfully evaded their attacks.

However, the ear-less bandit was not as wounded as he had believed and made a wild slash at the traveller's flank. The blade struck home, but most the impact was taken by the leather armour hidden under his clothes and left him with only a shallow cut.

The leader of the bandits finally made it into the fray, swinging a rusty looking mace. For a few moments, all was a crazed web of clashing blades. Despite outnumbering their target four to one, none of the ruffians could get through the traveller's guard. His sword just seemed to be everywhere.

Suddenly, an advantage appeared. The ear-less bandit, losing a lot of blood, lost his footing and stumbled for a split second. But that was all the traveller needed. With a flash of steel he cut downward, slicing through the cloth of the bandit's trouser leg and cutting deeply into his inner thigh. The ear-less one fell, screaming and spraying blood everywhere. To his luck, another bandit caught some in his eyes and flinched. Expertly twirling his sword, the traveler slashed across the man's torso and gutted him with the return strike. Before the unlucky highwayman even had a chance to try and hold his innards in, the traveller delivered a kick to his chest that knocked him backward and away from the combat.

Before his companions could recover from the swift deaths of two of their company, the traveller lashed out with his weapon at the lead bandit's arm. Dropping his sword with a cry, he looked up just in time to see the flat of the black sword's blade as it whistled toward his skull. There was a dull clunk as it made contact and the bandit leader dropped to the floor unconscious. The last of the group, seeing the dire situation he was now in, attempted to flee.

The traveller once again flicked his wrist sending another small knife flying. It thudded into the meat of the retreating bandit's calf, sending him tumbling to his hands and knees. Pushing himself up, the would-be robber rose just in time for his chest to meet the man's sword tip, which pierced through his rib cage and out the front of his shabby clothes. Pulling back, the traveller yanked the sword out of the bandit's chest and swung it through his neck, decapitating him and ending the violent encounter.

The traveller wiped his blade on the headless corpses tunic and checked his own wound. It was small and would heal nicely once he made it to the town. He was more concerned for the damage done to his armour. He would have to find an armorer in Waldstadt and pay to have it fixed. Although his coin purse was filled with the adequate funds, it pained him that he would have to waste the time and money. Turning to the bodies of those he had slew, he began to search their remains for anything of value to cover the costs. It seemed only fair, since they had been the ones to damage the armour in the first place. During his search he came across a fancy looking ring with a faded crest of arms on it, probably robbed from a passing noble. Despite it's worn appearance it was still a remarkable piece of jewelry. It should fetch a fine price in the market.

A groan caught his attention and the traveller remembered that not all the men were dead. He walked over to the hapless highwayman and knelt beside him. With a little encouragement, the leader of the bandits came to. Realizing that the others where dead and the state their remains were in, the man swore.

"Sigmar's bollocks! What the hell are you?"

"Tell me, my friend", asked the traveller softly, ignoring the obscene curse. "Are you wanted men?"

His eyes glittering with fear, the man replied, "Yeah. Yeah! And if you kill me, you'll regret it! I've got powerful mates, all of them the kind that'll kill as soon as they look at you!"

"The kind that are wanted men too, I'd wager", he said, cocking his head to one side at the desperate man's outburst.

"Yeah, all of them wanted men! Touch me and they'll come looking for you and kill you!" the bandit yelled out, trying to push away in vain from the grip of man who had just killed his companions.

After a moment of contemplation, the traveller smiled. "Good", he replied.

In one swift movement, he drew his dagger and slit the bandit leader's throat. The traveller watched as the body went through its last desperate spasms, then go still. He reversed the blade to it's serrated edge and lent forward.

After a few minutes of gruesome work, he went to the other corpses and repeated the process. He pulled a large sack out of his pack and put his trophies into it. The bounty on their heads should cover any extra costs at Waldstadt. When he sold the various nicks and knacks he had looted from the bodies, he should have enough to buy fresh provisions and a good meal at The Troll And The Slayer, an inn that he frequented whenever he came to town. They did a nice dish there, chicken soaked in a delicious broth. He had yet to find anything that had tasted better during his twenty odd years of travel.

Dragging the bodies off the road so that they did not clog up the road, the traveller thought about the the money and the food he would be getting when got to Waldstadt and smiled.

Today had been a good day.

_****_

This is my first story, so please review and tell me what you think. I welcome any pointers you might have that will make reading this a more enjoyable experience.

_**Thanks for reading, I hope to have the next chapter out soon. ^^**_


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